Horseshoe



M. GATES. HORSESHOB.

(No Model.)

No, 405,470. Patented June 18, 1889.

' vided with a nut.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica MICHAEL GATES, OF DECATUR, MICHIGAN.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,470, dated J' une 18, 1889.

Application filed October 23, 1888. Serial No. 288,974. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Van Buren and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soft-Groun d Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a perspective View of my improved softfground shoe complete; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 3,A a detail sectional View of one of the eccentric buttons or cams, and Fig. 4 a detail sectional view of one of the heel clamps or holders.

The object of this invention is, essentially,

to provide a simple and practical soft-ground or mud shoe that may be readily adj usted and applied to hoofs of various sizes whether the same be smooth or rough-shod, or not shod at all, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The invention will be understood from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings 5 and it consists of certain novel features of construction that will be fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim appended.

The letter A designates the shoe proper, which is of the usual shape, and consists of a thin concavo-convex metallic plate having formed around its upper edge a Vertical integral iiange a, the concave side of the shoe being the under side. The plate or shoe as thus constructed will be less likely than those now in use to collect mud, &c. This shoe will also be less likely to cut the limbs of the horse should he flounder, which is frequently the case. The lower corner or edge of the plate may be beveled or rounded off, as shown most clearly at a in Fig. 3, to further guard against injuring the animals limbs.

Two adjustable hoof clamps or hails B B are employed to clamp this shoe to the hoof of the animal. These clamps each consist of a curved bar adapted to lit over the front of the hoof and provided with perforated ears b for the passage of a clamping-bolt c, pro- The lower ends of the hails or clamps are provided with oppositelypro jecting lugs d, and are passed through transverse slots e in the shoe A, the slots being upon opposite sides of the shoe. The slots prevent the withdrawal of the clamps While in use, and at the same time permit them to be adjusted to and from each other to fit different-sized hoofs. Bosses or enlargements fare formed on the under side of the shoe around the slots e to form a horizontal bearing-surface for the lugs d and keep the bails at a uniform height.

The plate A is provided with openings for the toe and heel calks of the shoe in case the animal should be rough-shod. Formed on the upper face of the plate directly behind the heel-calk openings are the transverse serrated bosses g. Olamped down upon these serrated bosses are the adjustable heelclamping blocks C, the forward ends of these blocks being notched to receive the heels of the shoe. Then the animal is unshod, the sharpened and pronged forward ends of the blocks C, formed by the V-shaped notches, may be pressed up close to the hoof and assist in clamping the same. It is obvious that the bosses g may be omitted and the transverse serrations formed in the upper surface of the plates; but I prefer the construction shown. The under surfaces of the heel-clamping blocks are also transversely serrated to engage with the serrations of the bosses g. The blocks C are longitudinally slotted for the passage ofthe clamping-bolts h, which are passed through the plate A and are provided with nuts upon their Vupper screw-threaded ends. rlhe bolt-passage through the plate A may also be elongated to permit of the further adjustment of the clamping-blocks, as shown in Fig. l.

Pivoted upon bosses formed on the upper surface of plate A or directly upon the face of the same are the eccentric buttons D, the buttons in this instance being arranged upon opposite sides of the plate, so as to bear aga-inst opposite sides of the hoof and assist in holding it in place on the same. These buttons are pivotally secured to the plate by means of the vertical bolts t', which pass through the plate and the button, and are provided on their upper end with tighteningnuts. In adjusting these buttons to a hoof the nuts are loosened and the buttons turned IOO around until their beveled or inclined periph.

cries bear against and clamp the sides of the hoof or shoe, when the nuts are again tightened to hold the buttons in their adjusted position. Any number of these beveled clamping-buttons may be employed, and they may be placed so as to bear upon any portion of the hootl or shoe of the animal, as is evident.

Having thus fully described my invention,

1o what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A soft-ground shoe consisting of a plate, adjustable hoof-clamps attached t0 the plate,

'adjustable heel-clamps C C, also attached to the plate, and beveled eccentric buttons D D, 15

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 2o presence of two Witnesses.

MICHAEL GATES. Witnesses:

O. N. HILTON, W. W. HODGE. 

